The GOP's Autopsy

3/18/2013 1:00PM

The Obama Administration reverses their stance on missile defense. Plus, the RNC’s self-examination, Ted Van Dyk on the unserious new Democratic party, and how can President Obama may hold up the Keystone XL Pipeline and other energy projects.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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I ... welcome to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel ... the Republican National Committee issued a scathing analysis of the party's electoral failures today ... you were to dissect that document shortly but first week I editorial page editor Paul GBO here ... to talk about another big news event it did not get that much attention ... the Obama administration's you turn on ... missile defense on Paul ... gotta love it when the administration drops big news on a Friday ... of more than on ... yet great for us journalists on what provokes this a change of heart on missile defense ... well I think that the recognition that ... there's a growing threat from ICD M's nuclear tipped perhaps from ... from the likes of Iran ... and North Korea ... and that too ... we have to dress that threaten its increase in not an immediate to the whole plant ... but to ... move many analysts believe that North Korean missiles can already target Alaska ... and why he ... is only a matter of time before ... it looks like they will have ... the ability to put nuclear weapons on those missiles ... Amma for too long it will be able to go ahead of time and so we have to meet the press so it's it's not just the west coast of the nine states and also our allies in Asia Pacific ... Japan ... and Australia which is very very far south also within ... the range here so defense Secretary Hazel says he's installing ... fourteen additional ground based missile interceptors in Fort Greeley ... on and on the Buffy Alaskan and the ... California side will be next between the two is all we should be doing here or is there more we do know my type of pay cash ... in this administration basically stopped those deployments in two thousand I remember these two sites in California Alaska were developed under the Bush administration ... Obama came in and said well ... that's it we don't need any more even under the plan to add on ... the additional missiles that additional interceptors and a plan to deploy a third site hidden in your ... and he discovered that ... I am ... as well as the behest of content ... well it was part of the negotiations with good we do the prudent didn't like those sites ... those are radar site and an interceptor site ... Seoul based ... got rid of those and did that led the way to the arms control deal meant to negotiate with with Putin's part of the reset of relations with Russia ... aam but yes there's more we could do I'm happy to talk about what more we can do here ... it's one Harken back to ... the Dome Reagan era and Star Wars for space based interceptors War ... II you don't like that that you when you're the technologies we can deploy your to protect the lakes a cattle well there are some missile defenses theater missile defenses that are based on Aegis cruisers we've got some in the Northern Pacific I mean the northwest Pacific and we got some and I think we've got one in the eastern med to Japan I attempted to pass so that and and that's ... he won a layered defense that's what we can use it the first layer doesn't get a second third can ... I think we need do more and boost phase was over we get missiles not while they're ... coming down ... kind of a last ... ditch effort while the going on ... aam we should do more on space technology ... but I think fundamentally we also need a third site in East ... on the East Coast ... and asked her block against of potential strike from Iran to ... the site in Europe was designed supposed to be that kind of protection ... but now the missed ration also announced on Friday it's not that it's not a good deal ... it to go to ... deploy that ... defense against inter continental ballistic missiles ... to well past twenty fourteen we need a bigger effort in an earlier effort ... on the East Coast is Eoin has the capability no to the Yellow where we're sitting in your no not yet but it's developing and it has I forget the exact range but did they have their missile ... ranges include value up much of Europe ... ahh and I think it's gonna grow over time and of course they want to get the ability to strike in nine states who would love nothing better ... to be able to say ... you want to stop us from invading this or that country ... your own capital cities are up ... are at risk okay well at least a positive development ... at the White House wants to talk about ... a quarter turn out to the Republican National Committee which issued its analysis of PT API's failings ... I cures RNC chairman writes Priebus this morning ... our message was weak ... our ground game ... was insufficient ... we weren't conclusive ... where we were behind in both ... data and digital ... and our primary and debate process needed improvement ... so there's no one ... solution ... there's a long list of them ... but welcome back to Opinion Journal I'm Mary Kissel that was Reince Priebus RNC chair on the GOP is failings many of them ... editorial page editor Paul GBO stays with me now all of them that this is like and how was ... the key I felt kind of depressing sight for conservatives ... and all the tents to start the big picture here doesn't help the party ... to talk about its failings in such a public fashion I think so I think after the Beattie you've taken ... and two thousand twelve ... and the fact the simple fact is that five out of the last six presidential elections the Republicans have lost the popular vote ... they won the electoral vote in two ... as opposed to the popular vote and one that that's ... small consolation I think that the Republicans need to look at ... themselves look a worthy one draw ... rather than say old just Lehman on Mitt Romney is as weak to Canada's Iwas ... brother Felix ... well written report notes that Republicans have done fairly well on that statement will thirty and fifty governorships ... and a report tries to look at those excesses and draw some conclusions so what are some of the big ... takeaway is from ... this announced whether they're some of the term and message and some other technical technological with technological or we get the jist of very poor job of orders which ... registration Ground Game mobilization was up to the standard voter identification who is it that you try to targeting get to the polls ... early voting weaknesses that sort of thing ... a preponderance of ... of of a preference for ... TV advertising with all this money from American Crossroads who like other groups as opposed to voter mobilization an identification okay so that's a big part of the prom ... but the other thing to focus on how many usefully so ... is the general message that the National Republican party projects which is ... that they really are out of touch ... I don't care too much about the average person ... now some of that was conveyed by the candidate himself ... but it when a one to talk to voter groups and has that differ across the country there's a perception that was too wide a party ... I'd to Mayo party ... and two ... and to uphold the party ... in the need to appeal to these other demographic groups and and I think that's there's no denying that they must do better with Hispanics Asian Americans ... and women and women there's an interesting quote that like to put up on the screen right now ... says quote ... one of the contributors to this promise that while Democrats can talk about people ... Republicans can talk about policy ... our ideas can sound to stay in removed to people's lives ... instead of connecting with voters concerns we too often sound like book keepers ... we need to do a better job of connecting people to our policies ... will I've that probably some of ... some of our fill we talk an argument or a scant one Republican were just a conservative ... newspaper we talk about policy because that's what we do ... having politicians and the different task which is to connect those policies to the lives of ... sick people and tell them why they're going to why it would improve their lives ... a law to Republicans don't do that to be wonky ... and talkin' in railway phrases ... reconciliation continuing resolution like over the heads of most American people and in contrast in particular ... to want ... to Brock Obama ... that's bad deficit for Republicans so I think you need to connect at that level but more important than that ... you actually need to be able to tell voters that you know what I want to leave the country I want to hear your Bolthouse what your life ... the key people what your what what's gonna happen you ... a deal pass those thresholds pass ... I think immigration frankly is one of those pass ... on some of these demographic groups like Hispanics and Asian Americans ... there to listen to what you have to say about anything else ... so interesting Lee one play some policy where this report ... the strongest and most deferment ... he is ... immigration ... reform and says the ... party's gotta get over its problem with that and pass comprehensive immigration reform something I agree with ... okay well the report is on line it WS J dot com editorial page editor Paul to go thank you so much ... for being ... with us ... it's not just Republicans who are saying about the future of their party Democrats are doing it to ... stay tuned ... welcome back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... it's not just Republicans who are mulling the future of their party Democrats are doing exactly the same thing ... a former Democratic political strategist at Van Dyke Road in our pages today and I quote ... Mr Obama was elected in two thousand and eight on the basis of his persona his pledge to end political and ideological ... polarization ... he opted instead to demonize Republicans for their supposing hostility ... to Social Security ... Medicare ... and Medicaid and quote ... Mr Van Dyke is joining us now by phone ... but missed the Fed is getting out of big responsible a star with the big question ... what ... did you write this up and now ... well I would return because I think the president and Democrats in Congress really aren't that important certain point ... if they continue on the present tense which is ... very confrontational brief partisan ... and which were sold in one role in crisis after another dealing with the federal budget ... I think were in trouble and and ... my calculus but not the time to reassess him to ... turn ... and get back to the lapel for Democratic president and Congress is new to the tothe did ... one Republican one Democrat support for the big ball to change the course of the country out there which ... is all Americans ... and then you should be uniting rather than that ... I think we've gotten ... back in recent years and grew to become ... the Bishop and empowered them to the report Mr. Bendine if you look to last year's election outcome ... I Democrats picked up far more Senate seats than anyone predicted ... I did ok in the house I've given the Republican controlled now won back the what the White House ... I the president says look I I have a mandate to ... put into place my agenda ... I do disagree with the indecently correlation either way he's doing ... I think I disagree in turning the corner of ... the Republicans are doing it to my surprise ... it exaggerating ... their peak last year ... that to one by a very modest margin ... but he had a big border falloff and two thousandeight ... he won not because of a ... ratification of the agenda but rather because very skillful organizing or before your period and more ... of Democratic workers that don't even have a very effective but I've ... but fun putting campaign ... leading Romney and Republicans as enemies of ... the middle class women ages ... Tino was ... large groups of Americans ... so that was the reason for the victory and again for all that work in the midst of ... as you said earlier of thirty Republican governors are still in office ... so ... the country's more evenly divided anybody's spectrum and Republicans still control the house ... what what say that the president continues on its current path to something to suggest that he wants ... um how why the current Democratic Party approach affects ... the twenty fourteen congressional election ... well I did the president that is the key figure in really have to take a turn ... and ... emitter ... and is perceived as making a lot of effort or giving it ... a big ... balance the budget bargain ... I think Democrats can prosper but if Democrats appreciate that they aren't turnout lens ... divider and practitioners Opel politics ... I will go down hell and and you've seen the president's approval rating for quite sharply from the end of the sequestration exercise ... two weeks ago soul ... now's the time to put sugar cane to help it well ... in two thousand and nine you wrote an open letter to the present on our pages and ... put up a couple of the recommendations ... and three three big ones ... a cutback poster proposals in expectations ... top class in pick your spots ... in conforming or politics year two thousand and eight ... statements ... I'd tell I'm just wondering is this good advice for Republicans said ... partly I doubt we'll ... ever really good to get I'm just wondering given the advice he gave the president back in only nine thousand to under promise and over deliver ... is that good advice for the Republican party today ... probably yes ... the radar for dipping ... into thousandnine present Obama was in different concerned about the breadth of health care proposal ... and some others ... which I knew would be quite difficult for moderate Democrats to support him but it turned out to be and the ... we bought tickets reduction tool ... to open due to the midterm election ... I think Republicans now ... more of them more than a ... bodyguard for the vacant you really have to consider ... Roundup who they are and what they stand for the October eight ... a big division there you have ... that goal ... politicians know how to operate Democratic constituencies which is ... Ryan marker Rubio ... then you have people like all of them ... Bachmann ... and pay when ... we're bored of this of the Trident and frankly having thrown off a majority of independent moderate voters in particular must be a very interesting time to see how both of these parties ... go to the spirit of self reflection former Democratic political strategist at Van Dyke ... in an op ed in today's Wall Street Journal ... check it out ... next up is the White House about the Keystone the entire U S economy ... stay tuned ... if Congress won't act soon to protect future generations ... I will ... I will direct ... I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take down in the future ... to reduce pollution ... prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change ... in speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy ... welcome back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... that was present Obama in his State of the Union in January ... on how he's going to green the U S economy through executive actions ... Institute for Energy Research senior vice president and fishes here ... to talk about the first really major events ... of the present wants to expand something called the National Environmental policy Act ... Dan what Disney ... as it's known and what is the president want to do with it ... Mary ... let ... me is the National Environmental policy Act was signed into law on January first nineteen seventy almost the ... half century ago by ... Richard Nixon ... the idea was simple it up before the government ... takes on a big project or ... gives the go ahead for something ... they should study with the environmental impacts are ... in include that in a document so that the decision maker could to ... have some idea what the environmental consequences for so what is the White House wanted you to me by now ... they won a two of the present is announces begun to leak out that he wants to direct all of the agencies within the federal government to now ... broaden the scope of the pit to include ... carbon dioxide ... so why are you know Congress into and this is this dispute which ... side is so could this affect everything from roasting the Keystone pipeline if they ever say we estimate that transportation projects was this a fact ... the of this would be the mother of all environmental laws because they can go on forever ... whether it's a highway with its Mag project whether it's any kind of energy project Keystone for example ... he could say yes to Keystone ... and what it really does is allow groups that oppose these projects ... to take it to court saying that they hadn't done adequate analysis and that and ... how this act is progressively good news ... if it is of ... it is one of the strongest in Burma laws we haven't now broadened to include carbon dioxide ... means all you want to build a new car factory ... theoretically if it requires a federal permit it may be time to clear the ground or in the Alps ... they have to ... study with the impact of those automobiles would be an urban accepts all ... of this is in and around Congress is in and around the fact that we haven't signed the Kyoto treaty ... of but it is consistent with what he said which is that ... after you pantry lost the ability to do the cap and tax program back in ... after a while he ... was in the past and taxis in the Keystone the entire economy the Institute for Energy Research senior VP Dan this thank you so ... much very worrying ... that's it for opinion Journal today E-mail us at Opinion journal Tax WS J dot com that's all one word ... sweet to me is Mary Kissel with your comments ... back tomorrow one pm ... thanks for watching